Kale Salad

I’m not ashamed to say I eat kale salad. In fact, I’ve appeared on national TV eating kale salad in an episode of the late and great Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown! Kale is sturdy enough that it won’t wilt over time, making this an excellent salad to put together in advance for a party.

Serves 4

2 medium bunches Tuscan kale, tough stems removed and leaves sliced into thin ribbons (6 cups)

½ small cucumber, diced

½ small red bell pepper, diced

½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, or ½ cup Basic Black Beans (this page)

½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

½ cup roasted corn (see sidebar, following)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup Creamy Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (this page)

2 tablespoons toasted pepitas

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

In a medium bowl, toss together the kale, cucumber, bell pepper, black beans, tomatoes, corn, and salt. Add the vinaigrette and mix well to combine. Divide the salad among individual bowls and sprinkle with the pepitas. Serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

How to Roast Corn

There’s no single best way to roast corn. Each technique has a slightly different outcome. Pan roasting yields a drier but more intensely flavored corn kernel; grilling adds smoke and sweetness; stove-top charring cooks the corn quickly, so the kernels stay milky and juicy while also delivering a nice balance of fresh/sweet and roasted/smoky.

Pan Roasting Stand each ear of corn upright on a cutting board or in a bowl, and slice from top to bottom to cut the kernels off the cob. In a medium cast-iron pan, cook the corn kernels over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and toasted, 5 to 7 minutes.

Grilling On a grill at medium heat, grill the husked ears of corn, turning them every few minutes, until the kernels are blistered and their color has gone from pale to bright yellow. Let the ears cool and then slice the kernels off the cobs.

Stovetop charring Set a husked ear of corn directly on your stovetop’s burner (you need a gas burner for this method). Using tongs, turn the ear of corn every few minutes, cooking until the tips of most of the kernels are blistered, about 5 minutes total. Let the corn cool, and then slice the kernels off the cob.